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dododenise's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book does a surprising amount with the number of pages it has. Yet, as someone who enjoys speculative fiction and dystopia I do wish the mind altering aspect of the story was explored more beyond the scope of what it could and could not do for Aaron.
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dementia, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content
splashcat360's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Homophobia and Hate crime
amazinglaureads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
kteliza28's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I felt like the story I was unwrapping at the beginning is so different from what I was expecting and about half way through the book it pivoted hard into some really dark territory. I was completely swept up in Aaron’s story and heartbroken at the same time. I loved how each character really had their own light and darkness and you could feel for each of them and imagine them fully. There’s something so familiar about this cast, like you know at least one of these people. For a YA book, I was expecting some eye roll cringe worthy behavior that would annoy me and while the kids in the story are very much still teens, I loved that their dialogue had depth and humor that actually made me, a 30 year old, laugh out loud. The themes in this book are absolutely gut wrenching and it’s not a read for the faint of heart but damn it hits pretty hard. I want to give it 5 stars but feel like the end left me wanting something more. But it’s hard to accept a book that doesn’t give you the outcome you want.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Violence and Homophobia
gymjam_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
gabrielledurrett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Suicide, Self harm, and Homophobia
angelofthetardis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Aaron is a fairly typical teen on the surface - always playing ridiculous games with his mates, taking the girlfriend who adores him out on dates and writing his own comic book. But his life hasn't been easy - he has the scar on his wrist to prove that. I cannot fault the characterisation; Silvera's writing perfectly captures that balance of a person being "normal" on the outside and yet struggling with trauma and their own demons on the inside. His is definitely not a sugar-coated existence, and Silvera has a real knack for making his lead characters so incredibly real, which just makes the 'fantastical' element that much more engaging.
In this case, it's name-dropped a few times early on in the story, and if you've read the author's other works it's not hard to take a stab at guessing what might be on the horizon. But likewise, he's all about giving you hope. And in this case, the twists and turns are perfectly timed to keep you engaged and to keep that hope burning in your chest.
The secondary characters are also well drawn, but ultimately the more central they are to the story, the more fleshed out they are. This does mean that people like Aaron's mother, brother and his old friends are there and interesting, but they just don't have the same depth to them. In turn, as Aaron's interactions with them are important catalysts in the story, it does leave the whole work feeling just a little bit 'thin' for me. I could have done with perhaps another hundred pages where the background story was developed and explored in more detail. That being said, I can potentially see this issue as perhaps being a writing device, as it does sort of fit with the POV. Nevertheless, I still feel like I needed more.
In a roundabout way, this story explores what might happen if a person could be "cured" of homosexuality. IMO, what's there to cure?! It's a beautiful illustration of what the struggles people go through when discovering their own preferences might feel like, and how the temptation of 'normality' might appeal, but that who you are will shine through no matter what. It's also a study in acceptance; even the harshest of days contribute to who you are. I can't say it's an uplifting read, but it holds a powerful message.
Absolutely worth the read!
Moderate: Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Cursing, Homophobia, Death, Death of parent, and Dementia
Minor: Pregnancy, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Domestic abuse
kim_lommaert's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Death of parent, Outing, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Hate crime, and Gun violence
Minor: Drug use, Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Pregnancy
katiechasingchapters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Moderate: Violence, Mental illness, Homophobia, and Suicide attempt
jennboyack_scott's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Self harm
Moderate: Mental illness, Dementia, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail